Never Apologize

I enjoyed a somewhat controversial career at university, as you've probably heard.

One incident sticks out. It involved my views on the presence of Africans in England, namely, my instruction to a visiting African scholar to "go back to Africa." After all, I continued, why should Europeans tolerate the presence of Africans (and others) in our homelands, since Europeans had been kicked out of theirs? A perfectly sound position and one which was, as is my custom, intended to provoke.

It caused quite a storm, as you may imagine. I was not expelled. Instead, I was brought before a committee consisting of senior tutors, college academics, and university officials. I sat alone before them as they gave me a series of sanctimonious lectures and stern warnings. Curiously I was not asked to apologise; I wouldn't have done so if asked. I think I was also given some sort of minor punishment, the nature of which I've forgotten now.

A few days later I received in the post a letter on university letterhead confirming my official censure. I framed it and hung it on the wall, where it remained for the rest of the term.